Wrong signals on recruitment

One of the 18 conditions my country had to fulfil in order to start a feasibility study with subsequent negotiations on a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU was to adopt and implement a civil service law, in order to ensure that the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as its regional governments, could benefit from a competent and politically independent administration.

In the meantime, the law has been adopted, but some politicians still resist its full implementation. The European Commission is pushing for, and rightly insisting upon, the complete execution of all 18 road-map points, as outlined in its feasibility study, adopted on 18 November.

Somewhat unexpectedly, the Commission might now get new staff rules that do not respect the standards set for Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as for all central and eastern European countries.

Your reports concerning European Parliament amendments to the said staff rules, which would allow the political appointment of lower-management Commission staff (‘Strike threat over “polluted” recruitment plan’, European Voice, 6-12 November), highlight that these amendments, once adopted, would allow political parties to place their cronies into the Commission administration, without passing a concours.

Firstly, if the Parliament was to adopt these amendments, they would doubtless set a precedent in lifting an obstacle to prevent the political recruitment of the Commission middle management, thus undermining its independence.

The precedent would also be set for any other EU institution or agency.

Secondly, considering the persistent difficulties public services in certain eastern and south-eastern countries meet with, such as corruption and infiltration of cronies, I cannot imagine Parliament to be so ill-advised as to adopt such amendments to staff rules, contrary to the aforementioned principles.

Such wrong signals would weaken pro-reform forces in all countries of the region, as well as undermine the credibility of the EU institutions, in particular the Parliament and the Commission. In any event, the final word will be up to the EU people, when they decide whether or not to participate at all in the June 2004 European elections.